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18 votes
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The fight for abortion pills – In the US, UK and around the world, the backlash against safe, at-home abortion medication is growing
26 votes -
There is no evidence that CBD products reduce chronic pain, and taking them is a waste of money and potentially harmful to health, new research finds
58 votes -
A pill to make exercise obsolete (2017)
19 votes -
The war on recovery: how the US is sabotaging its best tools to prevent deaths in the opioid epidemic
17 votes -
Cystic fibrosis breakthrough has given patients a chance to live longer
18 votes -
US prescription market hamstrung for nine days (so far) by ransomware attack
39 votes -
A US drugmaker’s feud with the DEA is exacerbating the ADHD meds crisis
36 votes -
Finland used to have one of the highest suicide rates in the world – how the country halved it and saved countless lives
28 votes -
Niacin has long been a public health darling. But an excess could be bad for the heart, study suggests.
15 votes -
Senators ask CEOs why their drugs cost so much more in the US
60 votes -
Research at the heart of a US lawsuit against the abortion pill has been retracted
28 votes -
US Senator Bernie Sanders set to interrogate pharma executives about prices
33 votes -
EBay will pay $59 million settlement over pill presses sold online as US undergoes overdose epidemic
10 votes -
The man in room 117 – Andrey Shevelyov would rather live on the street than take antipsychotic medication. Should it be his decision to make?
21 votes -
Pharma bro Martin Shkreli goes ballistic on US federal appeals court for upholding lifetime ban from pharma industry
41 votes -
Gene therapy allows an 11-year-old boy to hear for the first time
30 votes -
Why are antidepressants so popular in Iceland? | Mindset
6 votes -
Scientists hail new antibiotic that can kill drug-resistant bacteria
13 votes -
Aripiprazole (Abilify and generic brands): risk of pathological gambling
14 votes -
A quiet merger trial between antitrust enforcers and a pharma data giant called IQVIA reveals how bro-style executives control US medical data
13 votes -
How two US pharmacists figured out that oral phenylephrine decongestants don’t work
32 votes -
Moderna, Merck vaccine with Keytruda cuts risk of deadly skin cancer returning in half, data says
9 votes -
New lifesaving malaria vaccines need to be available now
7 votes -
The US Supreme Court will rule on limits to the use of Mifeprestone, a commonly used abortion medication
16 votes -
Novo Nordisk suggested to senior UK government officials that they could “profile” benefit claimants – those who are most likely to return to the labour market
17 votes -
First malaria vaccine slashes early childhood mortality
12 votes -
Adderall risks: Much more than you wanted to know (2017)
35 votes -
The Ozempic effect is coming for everything from kidney to heart disease treatments
12 votes -
New pill helps COVID smell and taste loss fade quickly
19 votes -
Life-changing cystic fibrosis treatment wins US$3-million Breakthrough Prize
15 votes -
There's hope for the US opioid crisis — but politics stands in the way
8 votes -
The hidden system of legal kickbacks shaping the US prescription drug market
10 votes -
Phenylephrine, a common decongestant in medicines is no better than a placebo when taken orally, says a US FDA advisory panel
by Wes Davis A key cold medicine ingredient is basically worthless The FDA’s 16-member advisory panel unanimously voted yesterday that oral phenylephrine, a common active ingredient in cold...
by Wes Davis
A key cold medicine ingredient is basically worthless
The FDA’s 16-member advisory panel unanimously voted yesterday that oral phenylephrine, a common active ingredient in cold medications, is no better than a placebo for treating congestion.
Link to the article
The call by the panel sets up potential FDA action that could force the removal of certain over-the-counter medications containing the ingredient — including certain formulations of Mucinex, Sudafed, Tylenol, and NyQuil — from store shelves.
But FDA may hold off for many months, pending contested findings by drug makers and other considerations.Data
Newer data from studies the panel says are more consistent with modern clinical trial standards showed phenylephrine simply “was not significantly different from placebo” in the recommended dosage, including trials from 2007 that the FDA had reviewed when considering the drug after a citizen petition prompted it to do so.
Bioavailability
The panel cited the drug’s low bioavailability, a term referring to qualities that allow the drug to be absorbed by the human body, as the main reason the drug should be removed from the market.
Jennifer Schwartzott said the drug “should have been removed from the market a long time ago,” while Dr. Stephen Clement said that although the drug itself isn’t dangerous, its usage by patients should be considered unsafe because it potentially delays actual treatment of disease symptoms.
Alternative
The panel cited pseudoephedrine as an effective alternative though while it’s technically available without a prescription, you must talk to a pharmacist to get it because, in large quantities, it can be used to make methamphetamines.
50 votes -
Ozempic cuts alcohol cravings. Liquor companies aren’t ready.
30 votes -
Tylenol: Six more years of failure
38 votes -
In the Gulf, a growing scramble for Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs
8 votes -
Wegovy may be valuable new option for heart failure patients
6 votes -
Some patients who took weight-loss drugs face disturbing side effects
33 votes -
US Food and Drug Administration approves first postpartum depression pill in the US
19 votes -
What is your experience with switching medication and brain zaps?
I've just started switching my medication and it's been pretty bad for me. Brain zaps are very frequent and I'm crying a lot. I'm struggling. I've been trying to find out what other people's...
I've just started switching my medication and it's been pretty bad for me. Brain zaps are very frequent and I'm crying a lot. I'm struggling.
I've been trying to find out what other people's experience has been like when they switch meds. What is normal and what isn't. People who relate to brain zaps and how they deal with it. Are brain zaps even considered a real thing?
What has your experience been like?
26 votes -
How a drug maker profited by slow-walking a promising HIV therapy
21 votes -
First over-the-counter birth control pill gets US FDA approval
58 votes -
Johnson & Johnson has granted Stop TB Partnership license to produce generic bedaquiline in low and middle-income countries
33 votes -
An open letter to Johnson & Johnson regarding its strategy to extend its patent on bedaquiline leading to a predicted six million lives lost over four years
79 votes -
Most patients using weight-loss drugs like Wegovy stop within a year, data show
10 votes -
Heat sensitivity/intolerance
So it is 80 degrees fahrenheit here today which usually would not be an issue for me but today I was too hot and sweaty. I am perimenopausal (49 years old) and I knew that could mess with heat...
So it is 80 degrees fahrenheit here today which usually would not be an issue for me but today I was too hot and sweaty. I am perimenopausal (49 years old) and I knew that could mess with heat tolerance. What I had not realized until today is that heat intolerance is also a side effect of many blood pressure medicines, antidepressants and allergy meds. And I am on all of those now.
I have just ordered some gadget that is a fan that goes around my neck and can be recharged via USB which seemed worth trying. And of course I will drink plenty of water, and try to stay in air conditioning whenever I can. Any other advice on how to deal with increased sensitivity to heat / higher heat intolerance? It is still early enough in the summer that the worst summer heat here is yet to come, so having some more tips might help me. Thanks!
26 votes -
Goodbye, Ozempic
33 votes -
How do you keep track of your medication refills?
Every person in my household takes a daily regimen of prescription medication and/or supplements. We keep ending up in situations where we run out of something because we don’t have a good way to...
Every person in my household takes a daily regimen of prescription medication and/or supplements. We keep ending up in situations where we run out of something because we don’t have a good way to keep track of our remaining supply of each thing. We need a better system for managing this!
We each use a 28-day (4 week) pill dispenser box which helps somewhat. I refill the dispensers when they are empty. The problem is, some of the medications run out in the last week of the dispenser. At the time I fill it, it’s way too early to call the pharmacy for a refill. But by the time the supply runs out I’ve forgotten about it and have to scramble to get more. I hope I’m explaining that clearly. It’s complicated because every medication runs out on a different schedule.
If you’ve got a solution to this problem please share it!
15 votes -
US medical insurers clamping down on doctors who prescribe Ozempic for weight loss
22 votes